Control of a peripheral device with a bandage-type analyte sensor

ABSTRACT

An example system includes a flexible substrate configured to be mounted to a skin surface. The system includes a sensor probe that has a first end attached to the flexible substrate and a second end configured to extend beneath the skin surface to contact interstitial fluid. A sensor is configured to measure a physiological property and is disposed at the second end of the sensor probe. A transmitter is attached to the flexible substrate and is configured to provide information related to sensor measurements to a controller. The controller is configured to a drug delivery rate based on the information.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/719,980, filed on May 22, 2015, the entire contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference as if fully set forth in thisdescription.

BACKGROUND

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in thissection are not prior art to the claims in this application and are notadmitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Certain medical conditions or states can be characterized by slowchanges of a physiological property over long periods of time and/or byinfrequent, short-timescale events. Such physiological properties can bemeasured periodically (e.g., by periodically accessing blood of aperson). Additionally or alternatively, an implanted or wearable devicecould be employed to provide continuous or near-continuous measurementof such physiological properties. Such implantable or wearable devicescan be battery powered.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes embodiments that relate to control of aperipheral device with a bandage-type analyte sensor. In one aspect, thepresent disclosure describes a system. The system includes a flexiblesubstrate configured to be mounted to a skin surface. The system alsoincludes a sensor probe having a first end attached to the flexiblesubstrate and a second end configured to extend beneath the skin surfaceto contact interstitial fluid. The system further includes a sensorconfigured to measure a physiological property. The sensor is disposedat the second end of the sensor probe, and the physiological property isrelated to glucose in the interstitial fluid. The system also includes anear field communication (NFC) transmitter attached to the flexiblesubstrate and configured to receive from the sensor one or more sensormeasurements indicative of the physiological property. The systemfurther includes a controller configured to: (i) receive informationrelated to the one or more sensor measurements from the NFC transmitterwhile the controller is within a predetermined threshold distance fromthe NFC transmitter, (ii) determine a glucose concentration based on theinformation, (iii) obtain a target glucose concentration, (iv) comparethe glucose concentration to the target glucose concentration, and (v)based on the comparing, provide instructions to an insulin deliverydevice to control an insulin delivery rate to a blood stream by theinsulin delivery device.

In another aspect, the present disclosure describes a method. The methodincludes receiving, at a controller from an NFC transmitter, informationindicative of one or more sensor measurements of a physiologicalproperty related to glucose in an interstitial fluid. The NFCtransmitter is attached to a flexible substrate mounted to a skinsurface. The one or more sensor measurements are captured by a sensordisposed at a first end of a sensor probe, the first end beingconfigured to extend beneath the skin surface to contact theinterstitial fluid, and the sensor probe having a second end attached tothe flexible substrate. The method also includes determining a glucoseconcentration based on the information. The method further includesobtaining a target glucose concentration, and comparing the glucoseconcentration to the target glucose concentration. The method alsoincludes, based on the comparing, providing instructions to an insulindelivery device to control an insulin delivery rate to a blood stream bythe insulin delivery device.

In still another aspect, the present disclosure describes anon-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereoninstructions that, when executed by a controller, cause the controllerto perform operations. The operations comprise receiving, from an NFCtransmitter, information indicative of one or more sensor measurementsof a physiological property related to glucose in an interstitial fluid.The NFC transmitter is attached to a flexible substrate mounted to askin surface. Further, the one or more sensor measurements are capturedby a sensor disposed at a first end of a sensor probe, the first endbeing configured to extend beneath the skin surface to contact theinterstitial fluid, and the sensor probe having a second end attached tothe flexible substrate. The operations also include determining aglucose concentration based on the information. The operations furtherinclude obtaining a target glucose concentration, and comparing theglucose concentration to the target glucose concentration. Theoperations also include, based on the comparing, controlling an insulindelivery device to adjust an insulin delivery rate to a blood stream bythe insulin delivery device.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be inany way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments,and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and featureswill become apparent by reference to the figures and the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1A is a top aspect view of an example body-mountable device, inaccordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 1B is a bottom aspect view of the example body-mountable deviceshown in FIG. 1A, in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 2A is an aspect view of an example body-mountable device removablymounted to an example insertion device, in accordance with an exampleimplementation.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the body-mountable device andinsertion device of FIG. 2A, positioned proximate to skin of a livingbody, in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of the body-mountable device,insertion device, and skin of a living body of FIG. 2B, showing thebody-mountable device and insertion device penetrating the skin, inaccordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view of the body-mountable device,insertion device, and skin of a living body of FIG. 2B, showing thebody-mountable device penetrating the skin and the insertion deviceretracted from the skin, in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example system that includes abody-mountable device in wireless communication with a peripheraldevice, in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 4 is an aspect view of an example bandage-type body-mountabledevice mounted to a body, in accordance with an example implementation.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a glucose control system, in accordancewith an example implementation.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an example method for control of a peripheraldevice with a bandage-type analyte sensor, in accordance with an exampleimplementation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description describes various features andfunctions of the disclosed systems and methods with reference to theaccompanying figures. In the figures, similar symbols identify similarcomponents, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative systemand method embodiments described herein are not meant to be limiting. Itmay be readily understood that certain aspects of the disclosed systemsand methods can be arranged and combined in a wide variety of differentconfigurations, all of which are contemplated herein.

I. OVERVIEW

Some implementations of the present disclosure provide a body-mountabledevice configured to be mounted to a skin surface of a living body(e.g., to skin of an arm or abdomen of a person). The body-mountabledevice includes one or more sensors for quantitatively and qualitativelydetecting one or more physiological properties (e.g., a heart rate, atemperature, a concentration of glucose or some other analyte ininterstitial fluid or some other fluid) of the living body in real-time.

Elements of the body-mountable device are disposed on a flexiblesubstrate that is configured to be mounted to the skin surface (e.g., byuse of glue, tape, dry adhesive, or other adhesive means). Theflexibility of the flexible substrate (and of the body-mountable deviceas a whole) could provide a sensing platform that minimally interfereswith activities of a body to which the sensing platform is mountedand/or that can be mounted to a body comfortably for protracted periodsof time. This could include the flexible substrate and/or the sensingplatform being sufficiently flexible that the flexible substratecomplies with the shape of the skin surface and deforms with changes inthe shape of the skin surface. The sensing platform described herein maybe provided in devices that could be mounted on a variety of portions ofthe human body to measure a variety of physiological properties of thehuman body (e.g., concentrations of a variety of analytes in a varietyof fluids of the body, temperature, galvanic properties, ECG; muscleactivity).

The sensing platform could include a variety of sensors configured todetect a variety of physiological properties and/or properties of theenvironment of the sensing platform. In some examples, the sensor couldinclude an analyte sensor configured to detect an analyte (e.g.,glucose) in a fluid on or within the skin surface to which the sensingplatform is mounted (e.g., interstitial fluid within or beneath theskin).

The sensor could be disposed on a sensor probe that is configured topenetrate the skin (e.g., to a specified depth within the skin) suchthat the sensor can measure an analyte in a fluid within the skin. Sucha sensor probe could be configured to penetrate to a specified depthwithin the skin (e.g., to a depth within the dermis, to a subcutaneousdepth) such that at least one sensor disposed on the sensor probe canmeasure an analyte in fluid (e.g., interstitial fluid) at the specifieddepth.

A transmitter may be attached to the flexible substrate. The transmittermay be in communication with the sensor attached to the flexiblesubstrate and may be configured to receive sensor measurementsindicative of the physiological property. Further, the transmitter maybe configured to provide signals indicative of the sensor measurementsto a controller. For instance, the transmitter may be an NFC transmitterthat, when the controller is within a threshold distance from the NFCtransmitter, provides the signals to the controller. In another example,two transmitters may be attached to the flexible substrate. Forinstance, an NFC transmitter and a Bluetooth low energy (BLE)transmitter may be attached to the substrate. The two transmitters maybe configured to provide different information to the controller. As anexample, the NFC transmitter may provide data encryption information,initialize the sensor, transfer sensor calibration information, etc.,whereas the BLE transmitter may provide the sensor data or measurementsto the controller.

The controller may be configured to receive the signals from the NFCtransmitter and determine physical properties based on the signals. Forexample, the controller may determine glucose concentration in a bloodstream based on the signals indicative of glucose sensor measurements.In this example, the controller may further have access to a targetglucose concentration, and may compare the glucose concentration to thetarget glucose concentration. Based on such comparison, the controllermay control an insulin delivery device to control an insulin deliveryrate to the blood stream by the insulin delivery device to maintainglucose concentration within a predetermined range about the targetglucose concentration.

In examples, the controller could be separate or remote from thebody-mountable device. The controller may be, for example, a wearable,laptop, desktop, handheld, or tablet computer, a mobile phone, or asubsystem of such a device. In other examples, the controller may beembedded in a device such as the insulin delivery device mentionedabove. The controller may be in communication with a display device. Thecontroller may be configured to provide glucose concentrationinformation to the display device and generate a display of theinformation on the display device.

The examples mentioned above and throughout the disclosure are describedin the context of measuring glucose concentration and controlling aninsulin delivery device accordingly. However, the methods and systemsdescribed herein can be used for controlling levels of any other analyteby controlling any drug delivery device. An example controller may beconfigured to receive information or sensor measurements indicative ofconcentration of an analyte from a transmitter attached to abody-mountable device. The controller may then compare concentration ofthe analyte to a target analyte concentration. Based on the comparing,the controller may be configured to control a drug delivery device,where the instructions are configured to control a drug delivery rate bythe drug delivery device so as to cause the concentration of the analyteto substantially meet the target analyte concentration.

II. EXAMPLE FLEXIBLE BIOSENSOR PLATFORM

FIG. 1A is a top view of an example body-mountable sensing platform 100,in accordance with an example implementation. FIG. 1B is a bottom viewof the example body-mountable sensing platform shown in FIG. 1A, inaccordance with an example implementation. Relative dimensions in FIGS.1A and 1B are not necessarily to scale, but have been rendered forpurposes of explanation only in describing the arrangement of theexample body-mountable sensing platform 100. The body-mountable device100 is formed of a flexible substrate 110 shaped (as an illustrativeexample) as a circular disk.

A sensor probe 120 extends from the flexible substrate 110 and isconfigured to penetrate a skin surface (e.g., to penetrate into skin ofan arm or abdomen of a human body). An analyte sensor 125 is disposed ata distal end of the sensor probe 120. The analyte sensor 125 isconfigured to detect an analyte (e.g., glucose) in interstitial or otherfluids under and/or within the skin when the sensor probe 120 penetratesthe skin. An optical sensor 127 is also included to optically detect oneor more properties of skin (e.g., by illuminating and/or detecting lightemitted from the skin to detect an optical property, e.g., a color,reflectivity, or other properties). An adhesive layer 160 is provided tomount the flexible substrate 110 to a skin surface (the adhesive layer160 is not shown in FIG. 1B, to allow illustration of elements of thebody-mountable sensing platform 100 that are disposed on the bottomsurface 150 of the flexible substrate 110).

The body-mountable sensing platform 100 additionally includeselectronics 130 disposed on the flexible substrate 110 and configured toperform various operations for the sensing platform 100. The operationsinclude, for example, operating the analyte sensor 125 to detect ananalyte, operating the optical sensor 127 to detect and optical propertyof skin, operating some other sensor of the sensing platform 100 todetect some other property or variable, recording information (e.g.,measured concentrations of the analyte) in a memory of the electronics130, and communicating information (e.g., by using an antenna towirelessly indicate such information) to an external system. Forexample, the sensing platform 100 could include an NFC transmitterattached to the flexible substrate 110. The NFC transmitter may includean antenna (not shown) that could be configured as a loop antenna onbottom surface 150 (e.g., encircling electronics 130), or the antennacould be configured as a chip antenna or some other configuration. Inanother example, the sensing platform 100 may include more than one typeof transmitters such as an NFC transmitter and a BLE transmitterproviding different types of data.

A battery 140 is provided to power the body-mountable sensing platform100 (e.g., to power the electronics 130). Components (e.g., antennas,batteries, electronics, etc.) could additionally or alternatively bedisposed on the top surface of the flexible substrate 110 (i.e., thesurface of the flexible substrate 110 opposite the bottom surface 150).

The flexible substrate 110 is configured to be mounted like a bandage toa skin surface. In the example shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, this includes alayer of the adhesive 160 being provided to adhere the flexiblesubstrate 110 to a skin surface. Additional or alternative means couldbe provided to mount the flexible substrate 110 to a skin surface. Forexample, a liquid or gel adhesive could be applied to the skin surfaceand/or to the flexible substrate 110 to mount the flexible substrate 110to the skin surface. The flexible substrate 110 could be placed on theskin surface and secured using tape or other adhesives. In someexamples, the body-mountable sensing platform 100 could include a dryadhesive configured to removably mount the flexible substrate 110 to askin surface. Other means for mounting the flexible substrate 110 orother elements of the body-mountable sensing platform 100 to a skinsurface or to other elements or aspects of a living body areanticipated. Further, in some implementations, the body-mountablesensing platform 100 could be placed proximate a target fluid (e.g.,interstitial fluid, synovial fluid, blood, tears, saliva, mucus) withoutmounting to a skin surface or other tissue surface. For example, thebody-mountable sensing platform 100 could be configured to be placedbetween the teeth and cheek of a living body, on the eye of a livingbody, or at some other location of a living body without being mountedto a particular tissue surface.

The flexible substrate 110 and/or elements of the body-mountable sensingplatform 100 disposed thereon can have a thickness, shape, composition,rigidity, compliance, elasticity, viscoelasticity, and/or otherproperties specified such that the flexible substrate 110 can be mountedto a skin surface of a living body and further such that the mountingminimally interferes with activities of the living body (e.g., motionsof the living body). This could include the flexible substrate 110 beingsufficiently flexible that mounting the flexible substrate 110 to theskin surface causes a minimum of discomfort. The body-mountable sensingplatform 100 could be sufficiently flexible that the flexible substrate110 and components mounted thereto comply with the shape of the skinsurface and deform with changes in the shape of the skin surface. Forexample, the components (e.g., electronic components, transmitter,sensors) could include or be composed of flexible polymers, flexiblemetal films, traces, and/or electrodes, or other flexible materialsand/or materials formed to be flexible (e.g., a rigid material formed toinclude a strain relief, to be thin or narrow, or otherwise formed suchthat an element composed of the rigid material is functionallyflexible).

Additionally or alternatively, rigid components (e.g., rigid electroniccomponents) could be mounted to the flexible substrate 110 such that thebody-mountable sensing platform 100 is, overall, flexible. For example,the rigid components could be small, or separated by a specifieddistance on the flexible substrate 110, or have a long shape and beingdisposed parallel to each other on the flexible substrate 110. This way,the body-mountable sensing platform 100 could be flexible in a directionperpendicular to the orientation of the rigid components. Being flexibleindicates that the body-mountable sensing platform 100 is compliant anddeforms according to deformations of the skin surface to which thatbody-mountable sensing platform 100 is mounted. In this manner, thebody-mountable sensing platform 100 minimally interferes with activitiesof a body/causes minimal discomfort.

The flexible substrate 110 could be composed of polyimide or some otherflexible polymeric or other material. As an example, the flexiblesubstrate 110 could have a thickness less than approximately 100microns. Further, the flexible substrate 110 could have a size specifiedto minimally interfere with activities of the living body. For example,the flexible substrate 110 could have a size (e.g., a diameter of acircular portion, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B) less thanapproximately 11 millimeters. Diameter and thickness values are providedfor explanatory purposes only. Further, the shape of the flexiblesubstrate 110 could be different from that illustrated in FIGS. 1A and1B or elsewhere herein. For example, the flexible substrate 110 couldhave an elongate shape, a square or rectangular shape, or some othershape according to an application. For example, the flexible substrate110 could have an elongate shape to provide sufficient area fordisposition of electronics, batteries, antennas, or other components onthe flexible substrate 110. Such elongate shape construction mayminimally impede motion and/or deformation of the skin surface to whichthe flexible substrate 110 is mounted.

One or more surfaces of the flexible substrate 110 (e.g., the bottomsurface 150) could be used as a platform for mounting electronics suchas chips (e.g., via flip-chip mounting). These surfaces could also beused for patterning conductive materials (e.g., via depositiontechniques) to form electrodes, antenna(e), and/or connections. Thecomposition of the flexible substrate 110 could be chosen to allow forthe formation and/or disposition of such elements of the body-mountablesensing platform 100. For example, the flexible substrate 110 could becomposed of polyimide or some other polymeric and/or metallicmaterial(s) such that metal contacts, traces, and interconnects can bepatterned directly on the surface of the flexible substrate 110. Examplepatterning techniques include sputtering, Chemical Vapor Deposition, orsome other deposition process). The metal contacts, traces, andinterconnects could also be patterned on a coating or layer formed onthe one or more surfaces of the flexible substrate 110.

Further, such patterned structures and/or other elements disposed on theflexible substrate 110 (e.g., electronics 130, optical sensor 127,battery 140, antennas) could, in combination with the flexible substrate110, have a thickness or other property specified to provide the overallbody-mountable sensing platform 100 with flexibility. For example, theflexible substrate 110 in combination with electronics 130, opticalsensor 127, and battery 140 disposed thereon could have a thickness lessthan approximately 0.5 millimeters.

One or more components of a sensor or other elements of thebody-mountable sensing platform 100 could be formed directly on theflexible substrate 110 as a deposited metal film, dielectric material orcoating, or other deposited material. Electrodes or other elements of anelectrochemical analyte sensor, a galvanic skin resistance or potentialsensor, an electromyogram (EMG) or electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, orsome other components could be formed by depositing metals or othermaterials on the flexible substrate 110. Additionally or alternatively,such elements could be formed separately from the flexible substrate 110and deposited and/or disposed on the flexible substrate 110. Depositingand/or disposing the elements on the flexible substrate 110 can beperformed using techniques involving an adhesive, welding, reflowsoldering between contacts of the elements and corresponding metallicpads or traces formed on the flexible substrate 110.

The electronics 130 disposed on the flexible substrate 110 could includea variety of devices. For example, the electronics 130 could include anantenna (e.g., a chip antenna), a microcontroller, amplifiers, lightemitters, light detectors, temperature sensors, transmitters, radios,transceivers, or some other component or components. Such components canbe mounted to and/or electrically connected via interconnects or tracespatterned on the flexible substrate 110. Further, antennas, electrodes,capacitors, resistors, or other components could be formed from suchtraces or other interconnects formed on the surface of the flexiblesubstrate 110.

The electronics 130 can include logic elements configured to operate theanalyte sensor 125 to detect an analyte and the optical sensor 127 todetect an optical property of skin. The logic elements may further beconfigured to operate an antenna to wirelessly indicate information(e.g., concentration levels about a detected analyte). The antenna couldbe, for example, a loop, dipole, other type of antenna formed on theflexible substrate 110, or a chip antenna disposed on the flexiblesubstrate 110. A loop, dipole, or other type of antenna can be one ormore layers of conductive material patterned on the surface 150 of theflexible substrate 110 to form one or more specified conductive shapes.Example conductive shapes include a ring, a spiral, a curved or straightline, an elliptical or rectangular patch, a fractal, etc.

Electrical interconnects (e.g., traces), antennas, and/or conductiveelectrodes can be formed from conductive materials patterned on theflexible substrate 110 by a process for precisely patterning suchmaterials, such as deposition, lithography, etc. The conductivematerials patterned on the flexible substrate 110 can be, for example,gold, platinum, palladium, titanium, carbon, aluminum, copper, silver,silver-chloride, conductors formed from noble materials, metals,combinations thereof, etc.

The sensor probe 120 is an elongate element of the body-mountablesensing platform 100 that is configured to penetrate a skin surface. Inthis manner, the analyte sensor 125 located at the distal end of thesensor probe 120 contacts a fluid (e.g., interstitial fluid, blood)containing an analyte of interest (e.g., glucose) when the sensor probe120 is penetrating the skin. For example, the sensor probe 120 could bemore than approximately 2 millimeters long. The sensor probe 120 couldhave a length that enables the sensor 125 to contact tissue at aspecified depth within the skin (e.g., tissue of the dermis of the skin,subcutaneous tissue). For example, the sensor probe 120 could have alength between approximately 500 microns and approximately 6000 microns.Further, the sensor probe 120 could have one or more dimensionsspecified to provide sufficient area for electrodes or other elementsdisposed on the sensor probe 120, to minimally interfere with the skin.For instance, the sensor probe 120 might require a minimal incision orother alteration of the skin to provide for penetration of the sensorprobe 120. For example, the sensor probe 120 could have a width betweenapproximately 25 microns and approximately 400 microns.

The sensor probe 120 could be composed of a variety of materials andelements formed by a variety of processes. The sensor probe 120 could becomposed of a flexible material (e.g., polyimide) or a relativelyinflexible material. Further, a thickness, width, shape, or otherproperties of the sensor probe 120 could be specified to provide adegree of flexibility or inflexibility. For example, a flexible sensorprobe 120 could have a width between approximately 25 microns andapproximately 400 microns and/or a thickness less than approximately 100microns. In some examples, the sensor probe 120 could be formed from thesame material as the flexible substrate 110.

In an example, the sensor probe 120 could be an elongate portion of theflexible substrate 110 that extends from a portion of the flexiblesubstrate 110 that is configured to be mounted to a skin surface and/oron which electronics 130 or other components are disposed.Alternatively, the sensor probe 120 could be attached to the flexiblesubstrate 110. For example, the sensor probe 120 could include opticalfiber(s), flexible element(s) (e.g., an elongate piece of polyimide orother polymeric or metallic substance), wire(s), elongate pieces ofshaped silicon, or other elements adhered, welded, bonded, or otherwiseattached to the flexible substrate 110.

The sensor probe 120 could be configured to pierce skin to allow thesensor probe 120 to penetrate the skin and dispose the analyte sensor125 and/or other elements disposed on the sensor probe 120 in contactwith interstitial or other fluids within the skin. For example, thesensor probe 120 could be sharpened, or could include rigid materials(e.g., stainless steel tubes, rods, sheets, needles) to facilitateapplication of force to the sensor probe 120 to pierce the skin.

In some examples, the sensor probe 120 could include materials having astiffness that changes to allow the sensor probe 120 to be used topierce the skin during a first period of time and subsequently to becomeless rigid or to change some other property. For example, the sensorprobe 120 could include a piece of poly-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate(poly-HEMA) or some other hydrogel configured to soften by absorbingwater (e.g., from interstitial fluid) once the sensor probe 120 haspenetrated the skin. In another example, the sensor probe 120 couldinclude a stiff material that is configured to dissolve into and/or beabsorbed by the skin (e.g., polylactic acid (PLA)).

Additionally or alternatively, the sensor probe 120 could be insertedinto skin by another device that is configured to pierce the skin, orinto an incision into the skin formed by another device. For example,the sensor probe 120 could be configured to be mounted within thechannel of a half-needle of a device configured to insert the sensorprobe 120 into skin or to mount the flexible substrate 110 to a skinsurface. The half-needle could pierce the skin and subsequently beretracted, leaving the sensor probe 120 in place penetrating the skin.

The depiction of a body-mountable sensor platform 100 having a singlesensor probe 120 on a distal end of which a single analyte sensor 125 isdisposed and having an optical sensor 127 disposed on a bottom surface150 of a flexible substrate 110 is intended as a non-limiting,illustrative example. The body-mountable sensing platform 100 couldinclude additional sensors disposed at different locations of thesensing platform (e.g., particular locations on a sensor probe). Forexample, the sensor probe 120 could include a plurality of sensorsdisposed along the length of the sensor probe 120 to allow for detectionof some property of skin (e.g., a concentration of an analyte within theskin) at a variety of depths within the skin. The body-mountable sensorplatform 100 could thus include more than one sensor probe and suchsensor probes could have different widths, lengths, thicknesses,sensors, sensor locations, or other properties.

In examples, the sensor probe 120 could be configured to penetrate skinthrough a pre-existing cut, puncture, incision, or other entry throughthe surface of the skin into tissue (e.g., dermal tissue, subcutaneoustissue) containing a fluid of interest (e.g., interstitial fluid). Sucha pre-existing entry could be formed for the purpose of inserting thesensor probe 120 by a lancet, needle, or other instrument configured topierce the skin.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example body-mountable sensing platform 200removably mounted to an example insertion device 270, in accordance withan example implementation. The body-mountable sensing platform 200 issimilar to the body-mountable sensing platform 100. The body-mountablesensing platform 200 includes a flexible substrate 210, a sensor probe220 attached to the flexible substrate 210, and an adhesive layer 260configured to adhere the flexible substrate 210 to a skin surface. Thesensor probe 220 is configured to penetrate the skin and includes asensor (not shown) disposed on the sensor probe 220 and configured todetect a property of the skin and/or to otherwise interact with tissuesbeneath and/or within the skin. For example, the sensor could beconfigured to detect an analyte (e.g., to measure a concentration ofglucose) in a fluid within the skin (e.g., in interstitial fluid) whenthe sensor probe 220 penetrates the skin. The sensor probe 220 iscoupled to a needle 280 of the insertion device 270. The needle 280 is ahalf-needle. That is, the needle 280 includes a channel along the lengthof the needle 280 in which the sensor probe 220 is disposed. The needle280 is configured to pierce skin such that the needle 280 and thecoupled sensor probe 220 penetrate the skin. That is, the needle 280 issufficiently rigid and/or has an end that is sufficiently sharp toenable the needle 280 to pierce the skin. The insertion device 270 canthen be moved away from the skin, and the needle 280 can be retractedwhile the sensor probe 220 remains inserted in (i.e., penetrating) theskin and the flexible substrate 210 remains mounted on the skin surface.

FIGS. 2B-2D show, in cross-section, the process of using the insertiondevice 270 to pierce skin 290. The skin 290 includes an epidermal layer291 and a dermal layer 293. FIG. 2B shows the body-mountable sensingplatform 200 removably mounted to the insertion device 270 such that thesensor probe 220 of the sensing platform 200 is coupled to the needle280 of the insertion device 270. In this example, the sensor probe 220is disposed within a channel of the needle 280. As shown in FIG. 2B, theinsertion device 270 and the sensing platform 200 removably mountedthereto are disposed proximate the skin 290, but have not yet piercedthe skin 290.

FIG. 2C shows the insertion device 270 and sensing platform 200 afterthe needle 280 (and the sensor probe 220 coupled thereto) has beeninserted into the skin 290 (i.e., the needle 280 has pierced the skin).Further, the flexible substrate 210 has been mounted, via the adhesiveaction of the adhesive layer 260, to the skin 290 surface. The sensorprobe 220 penetrates the skin 290 such that the distal end of the sensorprobe 220 is located in the dermal layer 293 of the skin 290. In thismanner, a sensor disposed on the end of the sensor probe 220 coulddetect an analyte in interstitial or other fluids present in the dermallayer 293.

FIG. 2D shows the sensing platform 200 after the needle 280 of theinsertion device 270 has been retracted. The sensor probe 220 remains inplace penetrating the skin 290 such that the distal end of the sensorprobe 220 is located in the dermal layer 293 of the skin 290.

The illustrated insertion device 270 and the sensing platform 200 anduse thereof to pierce and/or penetrate the skin 290, are intended asnon-limiting illustrative examples of such devices and methods. Theinsertion device 270 and/or the sensing platform 200 could havedifferent shapes, include different components and/or elements, beconfigured differently. For example, the insertion device 270 couldconsist of a disk to which a half-needle or other penetrating means areattached and to which a body-mountable sensing platform could beremovably mounted. In some examples, the insertion device 270 could beconfigured to provide some additional functionality, e.g., could beconfigured to receive communications from the sensing platform 200(e.g., to receive information related to the detected analyte). Otherexample additional functionality could include recharging the sensingplatform 200 or activating the sensing platform 200.

In some examples, the insertion device 270 could include a drivingmechanism such as a spring-loaded mechanism, a servomechanism includingone or more solenoids, motors, or other electromechanical actuators. Thedriving mechanism may be configured to drive the needle 280 and thesensor probe 220 coupled thereto into skin to a specified depth withinthe skin, at a sufficiently high speed to minimize user discomfort). Insome examples, the needle 280 could be retractable into the insertiondevice 270 for safety.

The mounting of body-mountable sensing platforms to skin surfaces ofliving bodies, and in some examples the penetration of such skin bysensor probes of sensing platforms, are intended as non-limitingillustrative examples of devices and methods described herein. Suchdevices and systems could be used to detect other properties of a bodyand/or of the environment of the devices and systems in some other way.This could include detecting analytes in or other properties of othertissues by penetrating such other tissues with sensor probes and/ormounting flexible substrates to surfaces of such tissues. For example,sensor probes, flexible substrates, and/or sensing platforms asdescribed herein could be used to detect an analyte within a mucosalepithelium (e.g., within the mucosa of a mouth, nose, or other mucosa ofa living body). Additionally or alternatively, sensor probes, flexiblesubstrates, and/or sensing platforms as described herein could be usedto detect analytes in a variety of fluids without penetrating tissuesFor instance, the sensing platforms could be used to detect an analytein a tissue present in a volume of a living body, e.g., to detect ananalyte in peritoneal fluid by disposing a sensing-platform as describedherein within the peritoneal cavity of a living body.

A sensor disposed at a distal end of a sensor probe or at some otherlocation of a body-mountable sensing platform as described herein couldinclude a variety of components and/or substances configured in avariety of ways. In some examples, such sensors could include one ormore substances that selectively interact with an analyte. For example,such substances could include proteins, enzymes, aptamers, DNA, RNA,nano-structures, antibodies, reagents, nano-structured surfaces, orother substances configured to selectively bind to, catalyze a reactionof, or interact with an analyte of interest. Such an analyte-sensitivesubstance could be disposed on a surface of a sensing platform (e.g., ona metal surface of an electrode, on a surface of an optical fiber, onsome other surface of a sensor probe and/or flexible substrate). Forinstance, the analyte-sensitive substance on the surface may becross-linked using glutaraldehyde.

Alternatively, the analyte-sensitive substance could be disposed withina polymer, gel, or other layer that is permeable to the analyte and thatis disposed on such a surface. Such a polymer layer can be permeable tothe analyte and contain a reagent that selectively reacts with theanalyte to create a reaction product that can be sensed directly by anelectrode. For instance, a fluorophore or other substance couldselectively interact with the reaction product. In some examples, thepolymer layer that contains the analyte-selective substance is ahydrogel that includes 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate units. Such ahydrogel could contain additional polymer units or other chemicals toadjust a permeability of the hydrogel to the analyte. The additionalpolymer units could also bind the analyte-selective substance within thehydrogel, increase a degree of crosslinking of the hydrogel, or tospecify one or more other properties of the hydrogel. For example, sucha hydrogel could additionally include di(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylateunits.

In some examples, the sensor of a sensing platform can include two ormore electrodes configured to detect or measure the analyteelectrochemically. The two or more electrodes could include a workingelectrode selectively sensitive to the analyte and a referenceelectrode. In some examples, exposing the sensor to a target fluid(e.g., interstitial fluid) causes a potentiometric voltage to developbetween the working electrode and the reference electrode that canindicate the concentration of the analyte near the working electrode.Additionally or alternatively, a specified voltage could be appliedbetween the reference electrode and the working electrode. An amount ofcurrent that responsively flows through the working electrode could berelated to the concentration of the analyte near the working electrode.Alternatively, the current could be related to the rate at which theanalyte diffuses to the working electrode (e.g., through a hydrogellayer containing an analyte-selective substance.

In some examples, the sensor of a sensing platform can include ananalyte-selective substance that has an optical property that is relatedto the presence, concentration, or some other property of the analyte.For example, the substance could include a fluorophore having afluorescence intensity, a fluorescence lifetime, an emission wavelength,an excitation wavelength, or some other property that is related to theanalyte. Also, a color, saturation, absorption spectrum, or some otheroptical property of a substance disposed at the end of the sensor probecould be related to the presence, concentration, or some other propertyof the analyte.

The sensor platform could include a light emitter and/or a lightdetector configured to illuminate and to receive light emitted from theanalyte-sensitive substance, respectively, in order to determine theoptical property of the substance that is related to the analyte. Insome examples, a sensor probe of the sensing platform could include anoptical fiber and the analyte-selective substance could be disposed on adistal end of such an optical fiber. In such examples, a light emitterand/or a light detector could be disposed at a proximal end of theoptical fiber. In this manner, the light emitter and light detectorilluminate and receive light from the analyte-sensitive substance viathe optical fiber. In examples, the light emitter and/or light detectorcould be disposed on a flexible substrate of the sensor platform (e.g.,as part of electronics disposed on the flexible substrate).

In examples, an optical sensor could be configured to detect areflectance spectrum, an absorbance spectrum, a fluorescence spectrum,an excitation spectrum, an emission spectrum, or some other spectralinformation or spectrum relating to optical properties of a tissue. Suchan optical sensor could detect one or more optical properties related tothe presence and/or amount of a substance (e.g., a concentration ofhemoglobin in blood, a volume of blood in a portion of skin), a propertyof a substance (e.g., an oxygenation state of hemoglobin in blood). Suchdetected properties could be used to determine one or more properties ofthe skin to which the sensing platform is mounted and/or of a bodycomprising the skin. For example, an optical sensor could be configuredand/or operated to detect an oxygenation of blood in the skin, a timingand/or frequency of pulses of blood in the skin and/or of heartbeats ofthe heart of the body comprising the skin, a degree of perfusion of theskin, or some other properties.

A body-mountable sensor platform could include additional or alternativesensors. Such sensors could include temperature sensors, accelerometers,gyroscopes, magnetometers, barometric pressure sensors, magnetic fieldsensors, electric field sensors, electromagnetic field sensors, or othertypes of sensors. Such sensors could be configured and/or operated todetect properties of skin to which the sensing platform is mountedand/or to detect properties of the environment of the sensing platform.A body-mountable sensing platform could include additional oralternative sensors and/or combinations thereof.

III. EXAMPLE ELECTRONICS OF A FLEXIBLE BIOSENSOR PLATFORM

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system that includes a body-mountablesensor platform 300 in wireless communication with a peripheral device380. The body-mountable sensor platform 300 may, for example, representthe body-mountable sensor platforms 100 and 200 described above.

The body-mountable sensor platform 300 includes a flexible substrate 330that is made of a flexible polymeric or metallic material formed to bemounted to a skin surface. The flexible substrate 330 provides amounting surface for a power supply 340, electronics 350, substratesensor 355, and a communication antenna 370. The power supply 340supplies operating voltages to the electronics 350 and/or other elementsof the sensing platform 300. The antenna 370 is operated by theelectronics 350 to communicate information to and/or from thebody-mountable sensing platform 300. The antenna 370, the electronics350, substrate sensor 355, and the power supply 340 can all be situatedon the flexible substrate 330.

Similar to the flexible substrates 110 and 210, the flexible substrate330 and/or elements disposed thereon can have properties that enable theflexible substrate 330 to be mounted to a skin surface of a living bodywith minimal interference with activities of the living body. This couldinclude the flexible substrate 330 being sufficiently flexible thatmounting of the flexible substrate 330 to the skin surface causes aminimum of discomfort. The flexible substrate 330 could be composed ofpolyimide or some other flexible polymeric or other material.

One or more surfaces of the flexible substrate 330 could be used as aplatform for mounting components including the antenna 370, theelectronics 350, substrate sensor 355, and the power supply 340, chips,and conductive materials. The composition of the flexible substrate 330could be specified such that metal contacts, traces, and interconnectscan be patterned directly on the surface of the flexible substrate 330.

The electronics 350 disposed on the flexible substrate 330 could includea variety of devices. For example, the electronics 350 could include anantenna (e.g., a chip antenna), a microcontroller, amplifiers, lightemitters, light detectors, temperature sensors, transmitters, radios,transceivers, or some other component or components. Such components canbe mounted to and/or electrically connected via interconnects or tracespatterned on the flexible substrate 330. Further, antennas, electrodes,capacitors, resistors, analyte sensors, or other components could beformed from such traces or other interconnects formed on the surface ofthe flexible substrate 330. The electronics 350 can include logicelements configured to operate the substrate sensor 355 to detect aproperty, an antenna to wirelessly indicate information about thedetected analyte, etc.

The body-mountable sensing platform 300 further includes a sensor probe360 that is attached to the flexible substrate 330. The sensor probe360, similar to the sensor probes 120 and 220, could be an elongateelement of the body-mountable sensing platform 300 that is configured topenetrate a skin surface. In this manner, a probe sensor 362 located ata distal end of the sensor probe 360 is disposed within skin (e.g., incontact with interstitial fluid, blood, or some other fluid of interest)when the sensor probe 360 is penetrating the skin.

The flexible substrate 330 includes one or more surfaces suitable formounting the electronics 350 (including a sensor interface 352, a memory354, and a communication circuit 356), the power supply 340, thesubstrate sensor 355, and the antenna 370). The flexible substrate 330can be employed both as a mounting platform for chip-based circuitryand/or as a platform for patterning conductive materials to createelectrodes, interconnects, antennae, etc.

The power supply 340 is configured to provide energy to power theelectronics 350. For example, the power supply 340 could include abattery. Such a battery could be flexible, e.g., the battery could be aflexible lithium-ion battery or some other type of flexible battery. Thebattery could be flexible to allow the flexible substrate 330 to whichthe battery is mounted to flex in response to deformation or motion of askin surface to which the flexible substrate 330 is mounted. The batterycould have a capacity sufficient to power the platform 300 for aprotracted period of time, e.g., 18 hours, a week, or some otherprotracted period of time of periodic operation of the variouscomponents. For example, the battery could be a flexible battery with acapacity of more than approximately 60 microamp-hours and a thickness ofless than approximately 0.5 millimeters.

In some examples, the power supply 340 could include a rechargeablebattery and could further include some means for recharging such abattery. For example, the power supply 340 could include contactsdisposed on a surface of the flexible substrate 330 and configured toreceive electrical power from complimentary contacts of a chargingdevice. In another example, the sensing platform 300 could include aloop antenna (e.g., a loop antenna comprising conductive tracespatterned on the flexible substrate 330). In this example, the powersupply 340 could be configured to use the loop antenna to receive RFenergy from an external device (e.g., the peripheral device 380). Insome examples, such an RF-energy-receiving antenna could be the sameantenna as the antenna 370 used to communicate with external devices.

The sensor interface module 352 and connections 351 between the sensorinterface module 352 and the sensors 355, 362 could take a variety offorms according to the methods used to detect a physiological property(e.g., an analyte in interstitial fluid). The sensors 355 and 362 aresimilar the sensors 125 and 127 described above, for example. One orboth of the sensors 355, 362 can include an analyte-selective substancethat selectively interacts with the analyte in a fluid (e.g.,interstitial fluid in skin, sweat on the surface of the skin). Thesensor(s) 355, 362 and sensor interface 352 can then detect theselective interaction between the analyte and the analyte-selectivesubstance to detect a presence and properties of the analyte.

Such detection can include detecting the interaction between the analyteand the analyte-selective substance directly (e.g., by detecting achange in an optical property of the analyte-selective substance) orindirectly (e.g., by detecting a reaction product of the selectivereaction of the analyte. Direct or indirect detection of the analytecould include electrochemical detection, optical detection, or someother detection means.

The memory 354 could include a variety of volatile and nonvolatileelectronic storage elements configured to provide means for the sensingplatform 300 to record and/or log detected information about theanalyte. For example, the memory 354 could include one or more EEPROMmemories, flash memories, NVRAM memories, DRAM memories, SRAM memories,flip-flops, or other information storage elements. The memory 354 couldhave an information storage capacity sufficient to record some specifiedperiod of detected information at some specified rate of detection. Forexample, the memory 354 could have a capacity sufficient to record morethan 18 hours, a week, or some other protracted period of time ofdetected information (e.g., concentrations of an analyte) when detectedat a rate of approximately once per minute. Additionally oralternatively, the sensing platform 300 could be in communication with amemory that is external to the sensing platform 300 and that could beused as described above with respect to the memory 354.

The electronics 350 include a communication circuit 356 for sendingand/or receiving information via the antenna 370. The communicationcircuit 356 can optionally include one or more oscillators, mixers,frequency injectors, etc. to modulate and/or demodulate information on acarrier frequency to be transmitted and/or received by the antenna 370.In some examples, the body-mountable sensing platform 300 is configuredto indicate information (e.g., detected analyte concentrations) bymodulating an impedance of the antenna 370 in a manner that isperceivable by the peripheral device 380. For example, the communicationcircuit 356 can cause variations in the amplitude, phase, and/orfrequency of backscatter radiation from the antenna 370, and suchvariations can be detected by the reader 380. Such wirelesscommunication could be compatible with one or more existing backscatterwireless communications standards, e.g., RFID. Additionally oralternatively, the communication circuit 356 and antenna 370 could beconfigured to transmit wireless signals according to some other method,e.g., according to the Bluetooth (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy), ZigBee,WiFi, LTE, and/or some other wireless communications standard. In someexamples, such communications (e.g., data transmitted from the sensorplatform 300, operational instructions transmitted to the sensorplatform 300) could be cryptographically secured.

In an example, the communication circuit 356 and the antenna 370 may beassociated with an NFC transmitter coupled to the flexible substrate330. The NFC transmitter could be configured to communicate informationrelated to a measurement made by the sensor(s) 355, 362 to theperipheral device 380. The communicated information could include storedinformation (e.g., analyte concentration values detected using the probesensor 362 at a plurality of past points in time and stored in thememory 354). In some examples, the communicated information couldinclude information related to an information link between thebody-mountable sensing platform 300 and the peripheral device 380. Forexample, the communicated information could include a request forfurther communication and/or a request for information about acommunications protocol. For instance, the communicated informationcould include information related to linking the body-mountable sensingplatform 300 with the peripheral device 380 by way of NFC pairingbetween the platform 300 and the peripheral device 380. Further, thecommunicated information could include security information (e.g.,cryptographic keys, passwords) related to securing further communicationbetween the body-mountable sensing platform 300 and the peripheraldevice 380.

Generally, NFC involves a technology that enables devices to establishradio communication with each other by touching the devices together orbringing them into proximity to a distance of typically 10 cm (3.9 in)or less. NFC may employ electromagnetic induction between two loopantennae when NFC devices (e.g., the NFC transmitter of the flexiblesubstrate 300 and the peripheral device 380) exchange information. NFCenables the devices to operate within the globally available radiofrequency industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band of 13.56 MegaHertz (MHz). Further, NFC enables the devices to operate onInternational Organization for Standardization (ISO)/InternationalElectrotechnical Commission (IEC) 18000-3 air interface and at ratesranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s.

An NFC device can work in three modes: NFC Target; NFC Initiator; andNFC peer-to-peer. An NFC initiator actively generates a radio frequency(RF) field that can power a passive NFC target (an unpowered chip)commonly referred to as a “tag.” NFC peer-to-peer communication differsin application as both devices (peers) are powered. For instance, boththe NFC transmitter coupled to the flexible substrate 330 and theperipheral device 380 may be powered, and thus represent peer-to-peerNFC communication. In examples, NFC standards cover communicationsprotocols and data exchange formats and may be based on radio-frequencyidentification (RFID) standards including ISO/IEC 14443. The standardsinclude ISO/IEC 18092.

In another example, in addition or alternative to the NFC transmitter,the communication circuit 356 and the antenna 370 may be associated witha BLE transmitter coupled to the flexible substrate 330. BLE is awireless personal area network technology. Compared to ClassicBluetooth, BLE provides reduced power consumption and cost whilemaintaining a similar communication range.

BLE may operate in the same spectrum range (e.g., the 2.400 GHz-2.4835GHz band) as classic Bluetooth technology, but may use a different setof channels. Instead of the Classic Bluetooth 79 1-MHz channels, BLE mayhave 40 2-MHz channels. Within a channel, data is transmitted usingGaussian frequency shift modulation, similar to classic Bluetooth. Thebit rate may be about 1 Mbit/s, and the maximum transmit power may beabout 10 milli Watt. BLE may use frequency hopping to counteractnarrowband interference problems. Particularly, BLE uses digitalmodulation techniques or a direct-sequence spread spectrum inimplementing frequency hopping.

BLE may enable low power consumption by the sensing platform 300. Thisis possible because of BLE's power-efficient communication protocol.Particularly, BLE intermittently transmits small packets of data asopposed to continuous scanning and transmission of data as implementedby classic Bluetooth technology and other types of transmitters.

In examples, the sensing platform 300 may include both an NFCtransmitter and a BLE transmitter. Each transmitter may be configured totransmit different types of data.

The sensor interface 352 is connected to the sensor(s) 355, 362 viasensor interconnects 351. In some examples, the sensor interconnects 351could include a patterned conductive material to connect components ofthe sensor 355 and 362 to a terminal on a microcontroller or othercomponent(s) comprising the sensor interface 352. Additionally oralternatively, the sensor interconnects 351 could include an opticalfiber or other means for transmitting light between the sensor(s) 355,362 and the sensor interface 352. For example, the sensor interface 352could comprise a light emitter and/or light detector and the sensor(s)355, 362 could include an analyte-sensitive substance that has anoptical property that is related to a property of the analyte. In suchexamples, the light emitter and/or a light detector could be disposed ata proximal end of the optical fiber. In this case, the light emitter andlight detector illuminate and receive light from the analyte-sensitivesubstance via the optical fiber of the sensor interconnects 351.Similarly, the electronics 350 are connected to the antenna 370 viainterconnects 357. Other configurations of the sensor interconnects 351and 357 are anticipated (e.g., capillary tubes, microfluidic elements,etc.).

The block diagram shown in FIG. 3 is described in connection withfunctional modules for convenience in description. However, embodimentsof the body-mountable sensing platform 300 can be arranged with one ormore of the functional modules (“sub-systems”) implemented in a singlechip, integrated circuit, and/or physical feature or on multiple suchelements.

The peripheral device 380 includes an antenna 388 (or group of more thanone antenna) to send and receive signals by way of wireless link 371 toand from the body-mountable sensing platform 300. The peripheral device380 also includes a computing system with a processor 386 incommunication with a memory 382. The peripheral device 380 can alsoinclude one or more of user controls 385, a display 387, and acommunication interface 389.

The memory 382 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium that caninclude, without limitation, magnetic disks, optical disks, organicmemory, and/or any other volatile (e.g. RAM) or non-volatile (e.g. ROM)storage system readable by the processor 386. The memory 382 can includea data storage 383 to store indications of data, such as sensor readings(e.g., acquired using the sensors 355, 362), program settings (e.g., toadjust behavior of the body-mountable sensing platform 300 and/orperipheral device 380), etc. The memory 382 can also include programinstructions 384 for execution by the processor 386 to cause theperipheral device 380 to perform processes specified by the instructions384. For example, the program instructions 384 can cause the peripheraldevice 380 to perform any of the function described herein. For example,program instructions 384 may cause the peripheral device 380 to providea user interface that allows for retrieving information communicatedfrom the body-mountable sensing platform 300. The user interface may,for example, display that information on the display 387 in response tocommands input through the user controls 385.

The peripheral device 380 can also include one or more hardwarecomponents for operating the antenna 388 to send and receive signals viathe wireless link 371 to and from the body-mountable sensing platform300. For example, oscillators, frequency injectors, encoders, decoders,amplifiers, filters, etc. can drive the antenna 388 according toinstructions from the processor 386. In an example, the antenna 388could be associated with an NFC transceiver or a BLE transceiver. Inexamples, the peripheral device 380 may include both an NFC transceiverand a BLE transceiver.

The peripheral device 380 can be a smart phone, digital assistant, orother portable computing device with wireless connectivity sufficient toprovide the wireless link 371. The peripheral device 380 can also beimplemented as an antenna module that can be plugged into a portablecomputing device, such as in an example where the wireless link 371operates at carrier frequencies not commonly employed in portablecomputing devices. In some instances, the peripheral device 380 is aspecial-purpose device configured to be periodically placed relativelynear the sensing platform 300 to allow the wireless link 371 to operatewith a low power budget.

For example, the sensing platform 300 may include an NFC transmitter(e.g., the communication circuit 356 and the antenna 370) and theperipheral device 380 may include an NFC receiver (e.g., the antenna388). In this example, the peripheral device 380 is brought within NFCrange from the NFC transmitter to receive information from thetherefrom. Such intermittent NFC between the NFC transmitter and theperipheral device 380 may require a reduced amount of electrical powercompared to other wireless communication protocols or setups.

In another example, the sensing platform 300 may include both an NFCtransmitter and a BLE transmitter. The BLE transmitter may have a longerrange than the NFC transmitter. Thus, the NFC transmitter may beconfigured to provide data encryption information, provide sensorinitialization information (e.g., powering a sensor on, providingconfiguration settings, etc.), transfer sensor calibration information,provide pairing information with the peripheral device, etc., when theperipheral device 380 is brought within NFC range from the NFCtransmitter. The BLE transmitter, on the other hand, may be configuredto transmit sensor data to the peripheral device 380 intermittently. Inan example, the BLE transmitter may transmit portions of sensor data orcompression of data sets, while the NFC transmitter may transfercomplete data sets.

The peripheral device 380 can also be configured to include acommunication interface 389 to communicate signals via a communicationmedium 391 to and from a remote system 390. For example, the remotesystem 390 may be a drug delivery device, a smart phone, tabletcomputer, laptop computer, or personal computer. The communicationinterface 389 and the communication medium 391 may, for example, be aBluetooth module and wireless Bluetooth communication signals,respectively. In this example, the peripheral device 380 may beconfigured to send information about measured physiological propertiescollected using the sensor(s) 355, 362 to the remote system 390 forstorage, offline analysis, and/or further action such as adjusting adrug dosage. In some examples, the peripheral device 380 is embedded inthe remote system 390. For instance, the peripheral device 380 may be acontroller embedded within an insulin delivery pump represented as theremote system 390.

In an example where the body-mountable sensing platform 300 has beenmounted to skin of a living body such that the probe 362 is in contactwith interstitial fluid of the living body, the sensing platform 300 canbe operated to detect an analyte in the interstitial fluid. Interstitialfluid is an extravascular fluid that suffuses many of the tissues of aliving animal body. The interstitial fluid is continuously replenishedby the blood supply through capillaries in the structure of tissue(e.g., dermal tissue, subcutaneous tissue). The interstitial fluid thusincludes many biomarkers found in blood that are analyzed tocharacterize a person's health condition(s). For example, theinterstitial fluid includes urea, glucose, calcium, sodium, cholesterol,potassium, phosphate, other biomarkers, etc. The biomarkerconcentrations in the interstitial can be systematically related to thecorresponding concentrations of the biomarkers in the blood, and arelationship between the two concentration levels can be established tomap interstitial fluid biomarker concentration values to bloodconcentration levels. Thus, measuring interstitial fluid analyteconcentration levels using sensing platforms as described herein canprovide a technique for monitoring analyte levels. This technique ismore efficient compared to blood sampling techniques performed bylancing a volume of blood to be analyzed outside a person's body.Moreover, the body-mountable sensor platform disclosed herein can beoperated substantially continuously to enable real time measurement ofanalyte concentrations or other information about an analyte.

In some implementations, the body-mountable sensing platform 300 canoperate to non-continuously (“intermittently”) indicate informationrelated to a physiological property (e.g., concentration values of ananalyte in interstitial or other fluids). For example, thebody-mountable sensing platform 300 could periodically operate the probesensor 362 to detect an analyte and to store information related to thedetection of the analyte in the memory 354. The sensing platform 300could then less frequently operate to transmit stored informationrelating to more than one detection of the analyte or otherphysiological property. Additionally or alternatively, a user couldoperate the peripheral device 380 to request such informationtransmission by the sensing platform 300. For instance, when a readingis desired, the peripheral device 380 may be brought within proper range(e.g., range suitable for NFC transmission) to obtain a reading of ananalyte concentration.

In another example, the sensing platform 300 could provide an indicationto a user (e.g., via a light, vibration motor, or other user interfaceelement(s) of the output component 320) that the user should operate theperipheral device 380 to receive such transmitted information. Theindication may be provided due to, for example, the memory 354 beingnearly full or a battery of the power supply 340 being nearly depleted.

Body-mountable sensing platforms as described herein could be mounted toskin at a variety of different locations of a body. Such locations couldbe selected to provide access to a particular portion of skin and/or aparticular type or portion of tissue (e.g., to provide access to aportion of subsurface vasculature). Such locations could be selected tominimize discomfort caused by the sensing platform being mounting toskin for a protracted period of time. For example, the sensing platformcould be mounted to a portion of skin that includes fewer nerve endingsand/or that is minimally strained during the performance of activitiesof daily living. Such locations could include locations on the arms orabdomen of a user.

FIG. 4 illustrates such a location, showing a bandage-typebody-mountable sensing platform 400 mounted to skin of an arm 405. Thebody-mountable sensing platform 400 represents any of the platforms 100,200, and 300 described above.

The body-mountable sensing platform 400 includes a flexible substrate410 configured to be mounted to a skin surface of the forearm of the arm405. Sensors, electronics, transmitter, batteries, and/or othercomponents could be disposed on or within the flexible substrate 410 toprovide functions of the sensing platform 400. As described above, suchfunctions may include detection of one or more physiological propertiesof skin to which the sensing platform 400 is mounted, e.g., aconcentration of an analyte in interstitial fluid within the skin.

The flexible substrate 410 and the sensing platform as a whole 400 aresufficiently flexible that the sensing platform 400 deforms (i.e.,curves) according to the surface of the skin to which the flexiblesubstrate 410 is mounted. Additionally or alternatively, one or morecomponents of the sensing platform 400 could be rigid and shaped and/orsized such that, when disposed on the flexible substrate 410, thesensing platform 400 as a whole deforms according to the surface of theskin to which the flexible substrate 410 is mounted.

The particular body-mountable sensing platforms, configurations, andoperations thereof illustrated herein (e.g., as body-mountable sensingplatforms 100, 200, 300, 400) are intended as non-limiting examples.Differently-configured sensing platforms (e.g., havingdifferently-shaped and/or sized flexible substrates or othercomponents), or other properties of the configuration and operation ofbody-mountable sensing platforms are contemplated.

The following control system description uses glucose level control asan example for illustration. However, a similar system can beimplemented to control other physiological properties as well.

IV. EXAMPLE GLUCOSE LEVEL CONTROL SYSTEM

Diabetes patients may take insulin medications to control high glucoselevels to prevent hyperglycemia, which is a condition that occurs whenan excessive amount of blood sugar (glucose) circulates in the bloodplasma (e.g., glucose level above 200 milligram/deciliter). However,inaccurate control of insulin medication amounts taken by a patient maycause hypoglycemia, which is a condition that occurs when glucose isbelow a certain level (e.g., 70 milligram/deciliter). Hyperglycemia andhypoglycemia are both harmful to the patient. A closed loop feedbackcontrol of patient glucose levels that is configured to control aninsulin delivery device based on continuous monitoring of glucose levelsmay facilitate maintaining the glucose level between target values toprevent both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a glucose control system 500, in accordancewith an example embodiment. FIG. 5 depicts a body-mountable device 501mounted on a skin surface similar to the body-mountable devices 100,200, 300, and 400 described above. The body-mountable device 501includes a glucose sensor 502 and an NFC transmitter 503A. The bodymountable device 501 may also include a BLE transmitter 503B. The BLEtransmitter is shown as a block having dashed line to indicate that onetransmitter (e.g., the NFC transmitter 503A) may be sufficient, but thatin alternative configuration more than one transmitter might be used totransmit different types of data. For instance, one transmitter may beconfigured to provide encryption data, pairing information, sensorcalibration information, etc., while the other transmitter providessensor measurements. Each transmitter may transmit data intermittently,and the frequency of transmission may be different as well. Forinstance, the NFC transmitter 503A may provide data when a peripheraldevice or a controller is within NFC range, whereas the BLE transmitter503B may provide data more frequently.

Further, the body-mountable device 501 is in communication with acontroller 504. The controller 504 may represent the peripheral device380 described above, for example. The controller 504 communicates withthe body-mountable device 501 when the controller 504 is within apredetermined threshold distance from the body-mountable device 501. Thetwo devices being within the predetermined threshold distance from eachother enables communication therebetween by way of the NFC transmitter503A and/or the BLE transmitter 503B.

The controller 504 is configured to control an insulin delivery device506, which is configured to inject insulin into a blood stream. Thecontroller 504 may have access to a set-point module 508 and apatient-specific information module 510. The set-point module 508 mayalso be in communication with the patient-specific information module510.

The sensor 502, similar the sensor 125 for example, may be disposed on asensor probe configured to penetrate a skin surface to contact a fluid(e.g., interstitial fluid, blood) containing an analyte of interest. Inthis case, the analyte of interest is glucose. The sensor 502 may be anelectrochemical glucose sensor configured to measure glucoseconcentration, for example.

The sensor 502 may further provide one or more sensor measurements tothe NFC transmitter 503A (or the BLE transmitter 503B), and the NFCtransmitter 503A may in turn provide information related to the sensormeasurements to the controller 504. In an example, the NFC transmitter503A may continuously provide the information to the controller 504. Inanother example, to save electric power used to operate the NFCtransmitter 503A, the NFC transmitter 503A may be configured to operateas a passive short range transmitter. In this manner, the NFCtransmitter 503A may provide the information to the controller 504 whenthe controller 504 is within proper range (i.e., range suitable forNFC). The NFC transmitter 503A may, for example, detect the controller504 being within the range, or receive information or an indication fromanother device that the controller 504 is within range and is seekingthe information. This way, the NFC transmitter 504 can be made small insize enabling the body-mountable device 501 to be small and comfortableto wear or attach to skin. Further, in this case, the NFC transmitter503A may consume low amount of power from a battery of thebody-mountable device 501 to operate, thus the battery may last longer.

In another example, the body-mountable device 501 may include both theNFC transmitter 503A and the BLE transmitter 503B to transmit differenttypes of information. The BLE transmitter 503B may have a longer rangethan the NFC transmitter 503A. Thus, the NFC transmitter 503A may beconfigured to provide information such data encryption information whenthe peripheral device 380 is brought within NFC range from the NFCtransmitter, while the BLE transmitter 503B may be configured totransmit sensor data from the sensor 502 to the controller 504intermittently. Such configuration may reduce power consumptionassociated with data transmission in general. In the description below,the NFC transmitter 503A is used to describe operation of the glucosecontrol system 500. However, such description is not limiting, and inother contemplated implementations the BLE transmitter 503B could beused alternative to or in addition to the NFC transmitter 503A.

The controller 504 may include or be coupled to an NFC receiver toreceive indications of one or more sensor measurements provided by theNFC transmitter 503A. In examples, the controller 504 may be configuredsuch that if the controller 504 does not receive signals from the NFCtransmitter 503A, the controller 504 provides an alert to a user. Inresponse, the user may bring the controller 504 sufficiently close(i.e., within the predetermined threshold distance that enables NFC) tothe NFC transmitter 503A so as to receive the information. Sensormeasurements may be stored on a memory (such as the memory 354) untilcommunication is established between the NFC transmitter 503A and thecontroller 504. Upon establishing communication when the two devices arewithin proper range of each other, the NFC transmitter 503A providesstored information to the controller 504.

In an example, the NFC transmitter 503A may be configured toperiodically communicate the information related to the one or moresensor measurements to the controller without receiving commands orindications from the controller 504. In this example, the NFCtransmitter 503A is a one way communication device that does not receivesignals. This configuration may enable the NFC transmitter 503A to besmall and consume less power. The controller 504 may receive theinformation if the controller 504 is within the proper distance from theNFC transmitter 503A. The controller 504 may provide an alert to theuser after a particular period of time lapses without receiving theinformation from the NFC transmitter 503A.

The controller 504 may then determine blood glucose level based on theinformation indicative of the sensor measurements. The controller 504may then generate instructions or commands that are communicated to theinsulin delivery device 506 (e.g., any type of insulin pumps). Inexamples, the controller 504 may communicate the commands to the insulindelivery device 506 wirelessly using any available wireless protocol orvia a wired connection. The insulin delivery device 506 may receive thecommands and infuse insulin into the blood stream in response to thecommands.

In examples, the controller 504 may include electrical components andsoftware to generate the commands for the insulin delivery device 506.The controller 504 may also include a controller communication system toreceive information from the NFC transmitter 503A and provide thecommands to the insulin delivery device 506.

In an example, the controller 504 may include a user interface and/oroperator interface (not shown) comprising a data input device and/or adata output device. The data output device may, for example, generatesignals to initiate an alarm and/or include a display or printer forshowing status of the controller 504 and/or a patient's vitalindicators. The data input device may comprise dials, buttons, pointingdevices, manual switches, alphanumeric keys, a touch-sensitive display,combinations thereof, and/or the like for receiving user and/or operatorinputs. Other input and output device are possible as well.

The controller 504 may also obtain a target glucose level from theset-point module 508 and/or the patient-specific information module 510.The set-point module 508 may be configured to provide the target glucoselevel to the controller 504 based on stored information. In an example,the set-point module 508 may be configured to continuously adjust thetarget level based on information received from the patient-specificinformation module 510. For example, every patient may be different andmay have a different target level appropriate for the patient'scondition. The patient-specific information module 510 may be configuredto store the patient's information (e.g., based on inputs by patient orphysician treating patient with permission from the patient). Thepatient's information may include age, previous history of treatment,information related to history of response of patients to dosages ofinsulin, and any other relevant information. The patient-specificinformation module 510 may continuously be updated with new informationover time. The set-point module 508 in communication with thepatient-specific information module 510 may thus adjust the targetglucose level based on any patient-specific information or updatesthereof.

The controller 504 may be configured to compare the target glucose levelto current blood glucose level determined based on information receivedor fed back from the NFC transmitter 503A. Based on the comparison, thecontroller 504 may be configured to provide the commands to the insulindelivery device 506. For example, the controller 504 may be configuredto implement any form of close loop control techniques such asproportional, integral, derivative (PID) control, robust control,model-predictive control, adaptive control, etc. The controller 504 maythus generate the commands based on a discrepancy between the currentblood glucose level and the target glucose level. An example adaptivecontroller 504 may be configured to include a learning algorithm thatmonitors patient response to doses of insulin over time and takes intoconsideration information provided by the patient-specific informationmodule 510. Based on such information, the controller 504 may adapt ortailor the commands for enhanced control of glucose level in the bloodstream of a specific patient.

In an example, the controller 504 may be configured to receiveinformation related to the sensor measurements over time and establish apattern of change or a rate of change of glucose concentration in theblood stream. The rate of change of glucose concentration may beindicative of a patient's response to insulin injections over time, forexample. The rate of change may also be indicative of other healthconditions of the patient. In this example, the controller 504 may beconfigured to establish the rate of change of glucose concentration andtake the establish rate into consideration when providing the commandsto the insulin delivery device.

In another example, in addition to establishing the target glucoseconcentration, the set-point module 508 may be configured to establish arange of glucose concentration about the target glucose concentrationthat may be considered healthy for a given patient. For instance, therange may be fixed or may be based on patient-specific informationreceived from the patient-specific information module 510. In thisexample, the controller 504 may be configured to provide the commandssuch that the insulin delivery device 506 maintains a predeterminedinsulin delivery rate when the glucose concentration is within theestablished range. If the glucose concentration deviates from the range,the controller 504 may be configured to provide the commands such thatthe insulin delivery device 506 changes the insulin delivery rate to theblood stream so as to bring the glucose concentration in the bloodstream within the range.

The insulin delivery device 506 may include an infusion device and/or aninfusion tube to infuse insulin into the blood stream at a given rate.For example, the controller 504 may provide the commands to the insulindelivery device 506 to control the insulin delivery rate/dosages overtime. In examples, insulin may be infused using an intravenous systemfor providing fluids to a patient (e.g., in a hospital or other medicalenvironment).

In examples, an infusion device (not explicitly identified in FIG. 5)may include infusion electrical components to activate an infusion motoraccording to the commands, an infusion communication system to receivethe commands from the controller 504, and an infusion device housing(not shown) to hold the infusion device.

In some examples, the controller 504 may be housed in the infusiondevice housing, and an infusion communication system may comprise anelectrical trace or a wire that carries the commands from the controller504 to the infusion device. Thus, the controller 504 and the insulindelivery device 506 may be co-located or integrated together. Forinstance, the controller 504 may take the form of a chip includinghardware and software and located in the insulin delivery device 506. Inthis example, an NFC receiver may be coupled to the insulin deliverydevice 504 and configured to receive the information related to the oneor more sensor measurements from the NFC transmitter 503A. Thecontroller 504 thus receives the information by way of the NFC receivercoupled to the insulin delivery device 506.

In other examples, the controller 504 may have its own housing or may beincluded in a supplemental device. For instance, the controller 504 maybe integrated into a mobile phone (e.g., an application installed on themobile phone), a wearable computing device worn by the patient, a laptopor desktop in wired or wireless communication with the body-mountabledevice 501 and the insulin delivery device 506, etc.

In still another example, the controller 504 may be located at a remoteserver in wireless communication (e.g., using WiFi, CDMA, WiMAX, GSM,etc. interfaces) with the body-mountable device 501 and the insulindelivery device 506. In further examples, components of the system 500such as the body-mountable device 501, the controller 504, and theinsulin delivery device 506 may utilize a cable, a wire, a fiber opticline, radio frequency, infrared signals, or ultrasonic transmitters andreceivers, or a combination thereof for communication with each other.

The system 500 thus illustrates a closed loop feedback control ofpatient glucose levels based on monitoring of glucose levels. In thismanner, the control system 500 may facilitate maintaining the glucoselevel between target values to prevent both hyperglycemia andhypoglycemia.

Components of the system 500 may be configured to work in aninterconnected fashion with each other and/or with other componentscoupled to respective systems. One or more of the described functions,components, or blocks of the system 500 may be divided up intoadditional functional or physical components, or combined into fewerfunctional or physical components. For example, the set-point module 508may be integrated into the controller 504. The controller 504 may beintegrated into the insulin delivery device 506. In this case, the NFCtransmitter 503A may be communicating directly with an NFC receiver atthe insulin delivery device 506.

In some further examples, additional functional and/or physicalcomponents may be added to the examples illustrated by FIG. 5. Forexample, the system 500 may include a filter (or a pre-filter)configured to filter and process signals from the sensor before thesignals are provided to the controller 504. The system 500 may include aprocessor (e.g., a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),etc.) configured to execute program code including one or moreinstructions for implementing logical functions described with respectto the controller 504. The system 500 may further include any type ofcomputer readable medium (non-transitory medium) or memory, for example,such as a storage device including a disk or hard drive, to store theprogram code. In other examples, the system 500 may be included withinother systems.

V. EXAMPLE METHODS

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a method 600 for control of a peripheraldevice with a bandage-type analyte sensor, in accordance with an exampleimplementation. The method 600 may include one or more operations, oractions as illustrated by one or more of blocks 602-610. Although theblocks are illustrated in a sequential order, these blocks may in someinstances be performed in parallel, and/or in a different order thanthose described herein. Also, the various blocks may be combined intofewer blocks, divided into additional blocks, and/or removed based uponthe desired implementation.

In addition, for the method 600 and other processes and methodsdisclosed herein, the flowchart shows operation of one possibleimplementation of present examples. In this regard, each block mayrepresent a module, a segment, or a portion of program code, whichincludes one or more instructions executable by a processor or acontroller for implementing specific logical operations or steps in theprocess. The program code may be stored on any type of computer readablemedium or memory, for example, such as a storage device including a diskor hard drive. The computer readable medium may include a non-transitorycomputer readable medium or memory, for example, such ascomputer-readable media that stores data for short periods of time likeregister memory, processor cache and Random Access Memory (RAM). Thecomputer readable medium may also include non-transitory media ormemory, such as secondary or persistent long term storage, like readonly memory (ROM), optical or magnetic disks, compact-disc read onlymemory (CD-ROM), for example. The computer readable media may also beany other volatile or non-volatile storage systems. The computerreadable medium may be considered a computer readable storage medium, atangible storage device, or other article of manufacture, for example.In addition, for the method 600 and other processes and methodsdisclosed herein, each block in FIG. 6 may represent circuitry that iswired to perform the specific logical operations in the process.

Further, the method 600 is described using an NFC transmitter. However,as described above, in addition or alternative to the NFC transmitter, aBLE transmitter may be used to transmit sensor information to acontroller.

At block 602, the method 600 includes receiving, at a controller from anNFC transmitter, information indicative of one or more sensormeasurements of a physiological property related to glucose in aninterstitial fluid. The controller may be a computing device comprisingone or more processors configured to execute program instructions storedin the computing device (e.g., a memory within the computing device),for example. In an example, the controller may represented by hardwareor software embedded in the peripheral device 380 described above.

The NFC transmitter is attached to a flexible substrate mounted to askin surface. The one or more sensor measurements are captured by asensor disposed at a first end of a sensor probe, the first end beingconfigured to extend beneath the skin surface to contact theinterstitial fluid, and the sensor probe having a second end attached tothe flexible substrate. The NFC transmitter receives the measurementsmade by the sensor and provides information indicative of themeasurements to the controller. The controller receives the informationwhen the controller is within a predetermined range from the NFCtransmitter. The predetermined range is suitable for NFC.

At block 604, the method 600 includes determining a glucoseconcentration based on the information. In an example, the controllermay be configured to process the sensor measurements to determineglucose concentration in the interstitial fluid. Glucose concentrationin the interstitial fluid is indicative of glucose concentration in theblood stream. As an example, the controller may have access to apredetermined (e.g., empirical) relationship between the glucoseconcentration in the interstitial fluid and the corresponding bloodglucose concentration. The controller may use such relationship todetermine a blood glucose concentration for a patient based on theglucose concentration in the interstitial.

At block 606, the method 600 includes obtaining a target glucoseconcentration. As described above with respect to FIG. 5, the controllermay be in communication with the set-point module and/or thepatient-specific information module. The controller may be configured toreceive from either module a target glucose concentration or a targetrange of glucose concentration (blood or interstitial fluid) to bemaintained in the patient and is considered healthy for the patient.

In some examples, the controller may be configured to determine thetarget or the target range based on information provided by theset-point module and/or the patient-specific information module. Inexamples, the target and/or the target range may be dynamic, i.e.,changes over time based on other factors such as other health conditionsor indicators in the blood or interstitial fluid of the patient, time ofday, meals consumed, or any other factor. In other examples, the targetand/or the range may be fixed.

At block 608, the method 600 includes comparing the glucoseconcentration to the target glucose concentration. The controller may beconfigured to compare the target and/or target glucose concentrationwith a current glucose concentration in the blood of the patientdetermined at block 604. Accordingly, the controller may be configuredto determine an error or discrepancy between the target and/or targetrange of glucose concentration and the current glucose concentration.

At block 610, the method 600 includes, based on the comparing, providinginstructions to an insulin delivery device to control an insulindelivery rate to a blood stream by the insulin delivery device. Based onthe discrepancy or error between the target and/or target range ofglucose concentration and the current glucose concentration, thecontroller may be configured to provide instructions or commands (e.g.,the commands described at FIG. 5) to control an insulin delivery device(e.g., an insulin pump).

In an example, in addition to the comparing, the controller may takeinto consideration diet and exercise information associated with thepatient in to determine a proper insulin amount or insulin delivery rateappropriate for the patient. The diet and exercise information may beprovided to the controller by, for example, the patient-specificinformation module 510 discussed with respect to FIG. 5, for example.The insulin delivery device can be mounted to an arm of the patient orany other place (e.g., on a belt worn by the user) and is configured toinject insulin at a particular rate or dosage into a blood stream of thepatient.

In an example, the controller may provide the instructions such that theinsulin delivery device provides insulin at a rate that would cause theblood glucose concentration of the patient to substantially meet thetarget glucose concentration. The blood glucose concentrationsubstantially meets the target glucose concentration when the bloodglucose concentration is within a predetermined threshold value from thetarget glucose concentration (e.g., within 2% from the target glucoseconcentration). For example, the insulin delivery device may beconfigured, based on the instructions from the controller, to adjust(e.g., increase, decrease, or maintain) the insulin delivery rate so asto cause the blood glucose concentration of the patient to substantiallymeet the target glucose concentration.

In another example, the controller may establish, based on the sensormeasurements, a target rate of change of glucose concentration thatenables changing the glucose concentration and reaching a targetconcentration within a predetermined period of time. The controller maythen control the insulin delivery device pump to adjust the deliveryrate to achieve the target rate of change.

In another example, the controller may establish a range of glucoseconcentration about the target glucose concentration based on thepatient-specific information. The controller may then provideinstructions to the insulin delivery device to maintain a predeterminedinsulin delivery rate by the insulin delivery device when the glucoseconcentration is within a target range. If the glucose concentrationdeviates from the range, the controller may be configured to provideinstructions such that the insulin delivery device changes the insulindelivery rate to the blood stream so as to bring the glucoseconcentration in the blood stream within the range.

In examples, the controller may be embedded within a display device suchas a wearable, laptop, desktop, handheld, or tablet computer, a mobilephone, a head-mounted display, or a subsystem of such a device. Thedisplay device may include a user interface. The user interface mayinclude a data input device and/or a data output device.

In examples, the controller may generate signals or alerts that are thendisplayed on the data output device. For example, if the NFC transmitterhas been out of communication range with the controller for a particularperiod of time, the controller may generate an alert to indicate to theuser that the controller should be brought within NFC range from the NFCtransmitter. As another example, if the glucose concentration level isdangerous to the patient, the controller may generate an alert that thepatient should go to the hospital. The display device may also showstatus of the controller and/or other patient's vital indicators.

The data input device may include dials, buttons, pointing devices,manual switches, alphanumeric keys, a touch-sensitive display,combinations thereof, and/or the like for receiving patient and/oroperator inputs. The data input device may be used for scheduling and/orinitiating insulin bolus injections for meals, inputtingpatient-specific information, etc. Other input and output device arepossible as well.

VI. CONCLUSION

Where example embodiments involve information related to a person or adevice of a person, some embodiments may include privacy controls. Suchprivacy controls may include, at least, anonymization of deviceidentifiers, transparency and user controls, including functionalitythat would enable users to modify or delete information relating to theuser's use of a product.

Further, in situations in where embodiments discussed herein collectpersonal information about users, or may make use of personalinformation, the users may be provided with an opportunity to controlwhether programs or features collect user information (e.g., informationabout a user's medical history, social network, social actions oractivities, profession, a user's preferences, or a user's currentlocation), or to control whether and/or how to receive content from thecontent server that may be more relevant to the user. In addition,certain data may be treated in one or more ways before it is stored orused, so that personally identifiable information is removed. Forexample, a user's identity may be treated so that no personallyidentifiable information can be determined for the user, or a user'sgeographic location may be generalized where location information isobtained (such as to a city, ZIP code, or state level), so that aparticular location of a user cannot be determined. Thus, the user mayhave control over how information is collected about the user and usedby a content server.

While various aspects and implementations have been disclosed herein,other aspects and implementations will be apparent to those skilled inthe art. The various aspects and implementations disclosed herein arefor purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, withthe true scope being indicated by the following claims, along with thefull scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is alsoto be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescribing particular implementations only, and is not intended to belimiting.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a flexible substrate; asensor probe having a first end and a second end configured to contactinterstitial fluid, wherein the second end is configured to measure aphysiological property related to glucose in the interstitial fluid; acontroller electrically coupled to the sensor probe via the first end;and a near field communication (NFC) device mounted to the flexiblesubstrate and electrically coupled to the sensor probe, wherein the NFCdevice is configured to receive, from the sensor probe, one or moresensor measurements indicative of the physiological property, andwherein the NFC device is configured to detect the controller andprovide information related to the one or more sensor measurements tothe controller when the controller is detected, wherein the controlleris configured to: (i) receive the information related to the one or moresensor measurements from the NFC device, (ii) determine a glucoseconcentration based on the information, (iii) obtain a target glucoseconcentration, (iv) compare the glucose concentration to the targetglucose concentration, and (v) based on comparing the glucoseconcentration to the target glucose concentration, provide instructionsto control an insulin delivery rate to a blood stream by an insulindelivery device.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising anadhesive layer disposed on the flexible substrate, wherein the adhesivelayer is configured to adhere the flexible substrate to a skin surface.3. The system of claim 1, wherein the flexible substrate comprisespolyimide.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the NFC device includes anantenna disposed on the flexible substrate, wherein the NFC device isconfigured to communicate the information related to the one or moresensor measurements to the controller by way of the antenna.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the NFC device is configured to periodicallycommunicate the information related to the one or more sensormeasurements to the controller without receiving commands from thecontroller.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to provide an alert after a particular period of time lapseswithout receiving the information from the NFC device.
 7. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the sensor probe comprises two electrodes and isconfigured to measure the physiological property electrochemically. 8.The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is integrated into theinsulin delivery device, the system further comprising: an NFC receivercoupled to the insulin delivery device and configured to receive theinformation related to the one or more sensor measurements from the NFCdevice and provide the information to the controller.
 9. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is configured to provide theinstructions to a server that is in communication with the insulindelivery device.
 10. A device comprising: a substrate; a sensor probehaving a first end and a second end configured to contact interstitialfluid and measure a physiological property related to glucose in theinterstitial fluid; and a near field communication (NFC) device mountedto the substrate and electrically coupled to the sensor probe, whereinthe NFC device is configured to receive, from the sensor probe, one ormore sensor measurements indicative of the physiological property, andwherein the NFC device is configured to detect a controller and provideinformation related to the one or more sensor measurements to thecontroller when the controller is detected so as to enable thecontroller to provide instructions to control an insulin delivery rateto a blood stream by an insulin delivery device.
 11. The device of claim10, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed on the substrate,wherein the adhesive layer is configured to adhere the substrate to askin surface.
 12. The device of claim 10, wherein the substratecomprises polyimide.
 13. The device of claim 10, wherein the NFC deviceincludes an antenna disposed on the substrate, wherein the NFC device isconfigured to communicate the information related to the one or moresensor measurements to the controller by way of the antenna.
 14. Thedevice of claim 10, wherein the NFC device is configured to periodicallycommunicate the information related to the one or more sensormeasurements to the controller without receiving commands from thecontroller.
 15. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor probecomprises two electrodes and is configured to measure the physiologicalproperty electrochemically.
 16. A method comprising: receiving, at acontroller from a close range wireless communication device, informationindicative of one or more sensor measurements of a physiologicalproperty related to glucose in an interstitial fluid, wherein the closerange wireless communication device comprises a near field communication(NFC) device, wherein the close range wireless communication device ismounted to a flexible substrate, wherein the one or more sensormeasurements are captured by a first end of a sensor probe, the firstend being configured to contact the interstitial fluid, wherein thesensor probe has a second end coupled to the flexible substrate, andwherein the close range wireless communication device is configured todetect the controller and provide the information indicative of the oneor more sensor measurements to the controller when the controller isdetected; determining a glucose concentration based on the informationindicative of the one or more sensor measurements; obtaining a targetglucose concentration; comparing the glucose concentration to the targetglucose concentration; and based on the comparing, providinginstructions to control an insulin delivery rate to a blood stream by aninsulin delivery device.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:establishing a rate of change of glucose concentration based on the oneor more sensor measurements, wherein providing the instructions isfurther based on an established rate of change of glucose concentration.18. The method of claim 16, wherein the controller has access topatient-specific information, the method further comprising:establishing a range of glucose concentration about the target glucoseconcentration based on the patient-specific information, whereinproviding the instructions comprises: providing instructions formaintaining a predetermined insulin delivery rate by the insulindelivery device when the glucose concentration is within the range ofglucose concentration; and providing instructions for changing theinsulin delivery rate by the insulin delivery device when the glucoseconcentration is outside of the range of glucose concentration.
 19. Themethod of claim 16, providing instructions comprises: providing theinstructions to a server in communication with the insulin deliverydevice.
 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the controller is integratedinto the insulin delivery device, and wherein receiving the informationindicative of the one or more sensor measurements comprises: receivingthe information from an close range wireless communication receivercoupled to the insulin delivery device and configured to receive theinformation from the close range wireless communication device.